Currently, there exist numerous systems for allowing users to “check-in” their presence at an event, such as a sporting event, community event, club, conference, etc. For instance, mobile check-in apps can be used: to allow athletes participating in a race to compare performances against other participants; to allow patrons at a night club to meet other patrons with similar likes; and to allow attendees at a conference to network with colleagues, etc.
Unfortunately, beyond the pure social aspect of such connections, there are limited value added services current check-in apps can provide to the users or third parties. Because users attending an event can have very disparate backgrounds, demographics and interests, providing useful content, trends or advertising can only be generalized to the particular event. For example, a novice participating in a triathlon may be interested in what equipment the better athletes are using. Such information however is not readily available using current check-in apps.